1. family and parenting
2. motherhood
3. pregnancy

Doulaing
A NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED FOR DOULAS BY DOULAS
in this issue
ORGASMIC BIRTH
HOME BREECH BIRTHS
BLESSINGWAY
SCOLIOSIS IN PREGNANCY
SUMMER 2008 ISSUE 14
Who’s Who in Doula UK
In this Issue . . .
Editorial
3
Orgasmic Birth: Interview with
Debra Pascali-Bonaro
4
Performing a Blessingway
by Selina Nylander
7
Home Breech Birth by Stacia Smales-Hill
9
The Benefits of Pregnancy Massage
by Claire Morrow-Goodman
11
Book Review: Friday’s Child by Carly Poyser
A Doula’s Guide to Childbed Fever
12
Postnatal care of Twins by Marcia Lord
13
Chair: (Committee)
Emma Gunn (PR Spokesperson/ Co-Editor N.Letter)
emmavgunn@googlemail.com tel: 020 8737 1993
Co- Vice-Chairs: (Both Committee)
Marcia Lord (Study Day)
MammyDoula@aol.com tel: 0208 347 0953
Sue Searle (Incorporation)
sue@maternaltouch.org.uk tel: 01438 236510
Secretary: (Committee)
Trudi Dawson (Co-Editor Newsletter)
trudidawson@coi.gsi.gov.uk tel: 020 8658 7948
Membership Secretary: (Committee)
Michele Selvey
membership@doula.org.uk tel: 01922 440931
Training Co-ordinator (Committee)
Bridget Baker
bridgetbaker@blueyonder.co.uk tel: 020 7249 3224
Scoliosis in Pregnancy
by Shanta Everington
15
Regional Rep Co-Coordinator (Committee)
Claire Morrow-Goodman
mghealth1@yahoo.co.uk tel: 01604 462376
Book Review: Aqualight by
Francoise Barbira-Freedman
16
Angela’s Red Tent Brownies Recipe
17
Assessor Co-ordinator (Committee)
Adela Stockton (PR committee)
adela@birthconsultancy.org tel: 01387 740456
Home Birth Poem
17
Doula Mini-Survey
19
Credits and Acknowledgements:
Cover photo courtesy of Jada Shapiro.
Newsletter Team:
Thank-you to our wonderful newsletter team for layout
and pictures and to our authors and everyone who
contributed their time to this Summer edition. Please note
that OPINIONS expressed in Doulaing are not necessarily
those of Doula UK as a whole.
Dear Doulaing … Letters:
If you would like to respond to any of the articles in this
newsletter or previous newsletters, please send them to
them to newsletter@doula.org.uk.
Tips and Tricks:
Had something that worked for you that you want to share
with other doulas? Please email them to
newsletter@doula.org.uk.
Next Edition:
If you have any doula stories and experiences that you
would like to share with us, please can you send them to
newsletter@doula.org.uk.
Deadline for next newsletter: October 2008
2 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
Treasurer: (Non-Committee)
Maggie Vaughan
alacartedoula@aol.co.uk tel: 020 7731 5096
Website Administrators:
Carly Poyser (+ Gina Cox-Roberts on mat. leave)
carlypoyser@hotmail.co.uk tel: 01279 734841
On-line Forum Moderator:
Sarah Jonson (PR Sub-committee)
sarcyncha@aol.com tel: 020 8743 4995
Volunteer Co-ordinator:
Karen Losey
primadoula.Karen@hotmail.co.uk tel: 07948 400822
Press Officers:
Adela Stockton (PR Sub-committee Chair)
Lesley Hilton
lesleyhilton@ntlworld.com tel: 07977 906960
Answers to info@doula.org.uk
Jayn Stapleton tel: 01903 234438
PO Box 26678
London N14 4WB
Hardship Fund:
Mandy Reid tel: 01634 713 919
Other volunteers: We have many other volunteers who
donate their time to Doula UK, helping us with mailings, PR,
the newsletter, gift vouchers, study days, banner, merchandise
etc… as well as our assessors and regional reps.
Editorial
Letter from The Editors:
As with most things that relate to volunteering for Doula UK, I
find myself uncontrollably raising my hand and jumping up
and down like the nerdy kid at school shouting “Me! Me! Pick
me!” whilst a little voice inside me squeaks “have you really
got time for this? You haven’t even asked what it involves?”
So, thus, I find myself with the illustrious title of ‘Co-editor’ for
the newsletter, having asked not once what my job would
actually be! It transpires that co-editing the newsletter
includes getting a first glance at some amazing stories and
getting further proof of what a rich, varied and empowered
bunch of women us doula’s really are. It also involves reading
those articles a million times over, deep into the night, to try
and sprinkle comma’s, apostrophes and correct spelling over
it. Apologies for this, it was probably all just perfect before I
started! Other doulas that have stood with their hands in the
air shouting “me! me!” over the summer are Bev and Rachel,
who produced the amazing e-newsletter (not to be confused
with our not-’e’-newsletter!). Also Geraldine Watson who has
whipped our telephone line back into shape (whilst at the
same time getting an article in her local newspaper!). Not to
mention all the amazing doulas who have shared their stories
and contributed to this newsletter. Yours truly, along with
some other starlets, will be taking part in a Channel 4
programme about Sex Education (my mum is already so
proud, she NEVER thought she’d see the day!). And last but
not least, my Co-editor and committee partner-in-crime (also
known as ‘my wife’), Emma Gunn, is going to be speaking at
The Westminster Health Forum Keynote Seminar: Maternity
and New Born Care in September, representing Doula UK,
alongside some seriously heavyweight names within the
maternity care sector. All that and more that I’m sure should
be mentioned and hasn’t been. Talking of which, if you’d like
to share an idea, story or success you have had so that it
does get mentioned in the e-newsletter or newsletter, please
get in touch at newsletter@doula.org.uk. Personally, I can’t
wait to get started on the next one (if I’m invited back after
my terrible crimes against punctuation!).
Hello campers (well it is the camping season). I am feeling
unusually buoyed up by all the wonderful doulas who have
been such a great support to me in the last couple of months.
I have once again come away from this newsletter feeling
freshly inspired and touched by the stories and the work that
we do, it certainly helps to put things in perspective. I hope
you will enjoy reading it as much as I did. The interview with
Debra was very moving, as was her film, (those of you who
have seen it will know what I mean), if you haven’t yet, highly
recommend. See photos of the UK Orgasmic Birth premiere
in our DUK photo gallery, along with the photos from our first
Red Tent Days and Angela’s mouth-watering brownies recipe
from the London RTD. We look at how to take care of the
body during pregnancy with Claire’s piece on pregnancy
massage and how scoliosis affects pregnancy. Whilst Carly’s
book review had me howling over my keyboard, it doesn’t
take much at the moment. Once again we have looked into
birthing traditions with Selina’s story of a Blessingway she
organised and Stacia’s and Marcia’s accounts of their
doulaing work are an inspiration. We have attached a copy of
the mini-survey that Valerie put together for the Westminster
Maternity Forum on the back page, for those of you who have
been unable to fill it in online, so you can just tear it off. I
hope you will all take the time over the summer to fill in your
surveys and send them off to Valerie, so we can wow them
with our Doula statistics in September. I would like to say a
big THANK YOU to all our newsletter contributors and our
volunteers. Have a lovely summer everyone.
Emma Gunn
Trudi Dawson
About the Editors
Trudi Dawson
Emma Gunn
Trudi has been Doula UK’s secretary
for around a year - she can’t really
remember when she started as it’s
all melted into a blur of furious
activity. She is a Recognised birth
doula. Trudi lives on the borders of
Kent and SE London with her
husband and 3-year-old son.
Emma has been a Doula UK
volunteer since her very first DUK
meeting and is a recognised birth
doula. She is Chair and PR
spokesperson for DUK and lives in
Chiswick with her husband Duncan
and her two children aged 15 and 4.
She is also a Reiki and Natal
Hypnotherapy Practitioner and
teacher.
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 3
ORGASMIC
BIRTH:
An Interview with Director/Producer Debra Pascali-Bonaro
EMMA GUNN
I first had the pleasure of meeting Debra at an informal doula
get together at Bridget Baker’s house, nearly a year ago. I was
much impressed by her presence, her vast knowledge and
above all her humility, a quality I much admire in doulas. Her
CV is impressive and her achievements even more so. A DONA
approved Doula and trainer, she has spoken about doulaing at
the White House, been instrumental in helping to develop
community-based doula programs in the U.S. and as far afield
as Brazil. She is also Co-Chair of the International MotherBaby
Childbirth Initiative, which works in collaboration with global
leaders and groups to reduce maternal and infant mortality
and improve care for mothers, babies and families. She serves
on the Board of Directors for Childbirth Connection. Has coauthored Nurturing Beginnings: Mother Love’s Guide to
Postpartum Home Care for Doulas and Outreach Workers and
received the Lamaze International Elizabeth Bing Award in
2002. She is also the mother of three sons and two stepchildren.
What inspired you to make the film?
As a childbirth educator and doula for 20 years, I have seen
how important having information to make an informed
decision is in the way a woman experiences and remembers
her birth. A saying I have often sited is “if you don’t know your
options your don’t have any”. I wanted to make a film that
would show women and men all that is possible in birth to
encourage people to know their options.
Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus authors of When Survivors
Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early
Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women, were my teachers and
mentors. Their work has taught me how important the care a
survivor of sexual, physical or emotional abuse is during labour
and birth.
When I knew we were making a film, which would be
discussing birth as part of your sexual life, I knew I had to
include a survivor; because for some women, this aspect of
birth is difficult to take on board. For those who don’t get
support and sensitive care it can be a real trauma. So it is very
much because of them that I knew a survivor’s story had to be
a part of Orgasmic Birth.
Who was this film originally aimed at?
When I made this film I wanted to show it to young people,
long before they were going to go through the experience. I
never really thought that it could be for midwives and
physicians, so they could see what was possible.
How did you choose the title?
I was invited to a pitch session with several U.S. networks. I
had a few minutes to share our title and ideas for the film. Our
working title was first An Ordinary Miracle: Global Models of
Care and then Ecstatic Birth’s. When I said these names they
told me to sit down, they were not even interested in hearing
more. I then said Orgasmic Birth and with that title, everyone
laughed and said tell me more… if you can make that movie
you will have interest.
4 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
What kind of reactions have the title received?
Depends on whom you ask. From young people, our target
audience, a great reaction - interest, smiles and curiosity to
see and learn more. From physicians and midwives, especially
those who are older, a bit more conservative response, being
a bit shy or for some concerned to be putting the words
orgasmic and birth together, and yet all who have seen the
film have said after that this was the right title - it is so much
more than I had envisioned.
Where has it been shown?
The film is getting daily screenings all around the world from
Texas to Taiwan.
How long did it take to bring to fruition?
It was five years in the making. As someone who never made
a film before and who just had a vision, it was always hard to
imagine what the end product would be and having worked in
birth for so many years, I know that seeing is believing. As an
educator we can often see how couples shift during the
course, but in general people don’t have time to attend a
course and so the power of this film is that it can have that
effect in a short space of time.
Who were your team? How did they come about?
I have immense gratitude towards my whole team that
includes an award winning editor and fellow producer Kris
Liem, John McDowell, composer of the score for the Oscarwinning documentary Born Into Brothels, with additional
composition by Sabina Sciubba, of the group Brazilian Girls
and all the different aspects that brought the film together.
The amazing families who enabled us to share their intimate
moments. When you do the films about birth, it’s not like
making a Spielberg movie. You have no ways of predicting
how things will go, it is the story as it unfolds.
What were the biggest challenges? Greatest rewards,
surprises, moments?
One of the biggest challenges was finding a survivor to take
part in the film. When I started my search many, many,
survivors came and spoke to me, which was a gift to share,
but most of them needed their faces to be blacked out. As
much as I felt their experiences were important, I also felt as
a viewer, we needed to see the person’s face. We looked for
three years. We got a lot of responses but nothing came to
fruition. One or two people said yes, but no longer spoke
about their past history and they only insinuated it in their
story.
We were two days away from locking up the film, as we were
out of money and out of time. I was in the middle of taking a
doula workshop and during the break my editor Kris called
me and said ‘Debra you are going to have to live with the fact
that we have to weave this film without this piece.’ I
remember I sat in the parking lot and cried but I knew she
was right. I went back into my doula workshop and as so
often happens after they finish, people hang back to chat.
Someone asked me what I was doing outside of the
workshops and I blurted out that I was having a tough day
and I explained that I was looking for this one woman for my
birth film, a survivor, and I knew that she was out there. Helen
was in that workshop and she looked at me and said “it’s me!”
and she came over to me and put her hands around me and
hugged me. She cried and I cried and the whole workshop
came up to us and formed a circle around us. We were all
quiet standing like that for a long time. Helen told me how
she had been waiting many years for this opportunity to share
her experience to help others. I told her to take time to think
it over and speak to her family as it was a big commitment
and it would be shown all over the world. That night she
spoke to them and the next day she called me and said that
this was is something she had been waiting for a long time
and her and her family wanted to do it.
After my cameraman and I had filmed her, we had tears in
our eyes and were sitting there thinking we needed some
footage of her doing something to go over the interview
visually. I remembered Helen said she was an artist, I told her
we need some images, she said, “I weave, but my loom is
broken.” I asked her if there was anything else she could do
artistically. “I can spin.” And so we got this incredible
sequence of her spinning and brought it back into the edit
room. It was perfect.
What became of the mothers, fathers, babies who took
part in your film and what did they take away from being
involved in the film (apart from their baby)?
We invited all the families to view the films. Helen saw the
film three times before she gave birth to her second child just
recently. She said how being part of this project had moved
her to this new place, after the transformation from her first
birth, she was now prepared to enjoy her birth and find
pleasure in it.
We call ourselves the Orgasmic family, and the families have
met and we all keep in touch. Piper and Chas are expecting
again, any day now. They were the couple who last time went
into hospital by ambulance as they were in temporary
accommodation at the time of the birth and so did not feel
they could birth at home. She was the mother who had a
beautiful birth in hospital and was doing so well at home that
they thought she was not far along in labour, when she
learned she was fully dilated he was nervous about the baby
being born in the car, so they called an ambulance. It only
took her three pushes before the baby was out. This time
they are hoping for a home birth.
Helen, from the survivors, has given birth again. Her story was
so powerful. I was honoured to attend her Blessingway, which
she only shared with a small intimate group of people in her
life. It was a beautiful and welcoming preparation for the birth
and a few days later she went into labour, laboured in water,
caught her daughter herself and described her birth
experience as an incredibly positive and pleasurable
experience.
What are the typical reactions after seeing the film?
It has been wonderful to watch the audiences’ body language,
to see their tears and hear their feelings and to see that they
are being touched by different parts of the film. It is always
great to hear the comments and the feedback. Many
comments come in after the screenings, when people want to
talk individually. It has just been incredible, as each person
seems to find someone in the film that touches them in a way
that opens up a new possibility of something that they have
never thought or seen before. Pregnant women who said it
had given them a whole new perspective.
What were the impressions/reactions that most stood
out for you?
The strongest impressions I have received have been from
other survivors. There is usually a line after the screening of
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 5
people waiting to talk to me about their reactions to the film
and a fair number of them are survivors. Hearing them tell me
how being able to share Helen’s story and hence their own
story with me has opened up a possibility for them and their
own birth, is absolutely incredible.
Who have your audiences consisted of?
We have had midwives, doulas, educators, and a share of
nurses and physicians as well as many expectant couples and
even some young women in their early to mid teens who have
shared how powerful the film has been for them too.
How did the medical establishment receive it and have
you observed any changes or ripples that it has started
to create?
I do have one story that touched me; it was at one of our first
screenings in Puerto Rico. It was a husband and wife, who are
both great physicians and who helped me with the sponsorship. They both travel and speak a lot in South America, which
has a typical C-section rate of between 40-90% in urban areas.
They showed the film at a conference made up purely of
physicians from several countries and got a wonderful response.
When the credits rolled and lights came up, the audience were
very quiet and she looked around and noticed that they were
crying. There then followed a one and a half hour discussion
on what they could do to recreate normal birth and how they
could make changes in their practices. They hope to bring the
film to Cuba along with doula workshops. I was really touched
and I really do hope this is a film that will open the medical
caregivers hearts as well.
This has been the case in Glasgow. I had several midwives
and two Directors of Midwifery come up to me to say that they
were going back to their hospitals and were going to change
some of their practices and protocols, as I had reminded them
of what was possible. That they had realised that when you
become part of the system you forget and lose some of the
practices that are normal. Midwives from other countries have
expressed this as well. One midwife in particular really
touched me. She called me in the morning after seeing the
film to say that she could not sleep that night. That it was so
hard to realise why she had gone into midwifery and how
rarely they see these types of birth now, because of how
medicalised our system is. It gave her renewed power to do
something.
6 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
What are you focussing on, now that your film has been
completed?
Making the film has brought me the highest highs and
lowest lows. I am now enjoying the process, it’s a normal
post-partum reaction. I am just now opening up to making a
second film. I went for dinner with my editor Kris Liem and
she asked me if I was ready for my next project. We began
to visualise and will soon begin to fund raise so that we can
begin making our second film in a year or two. We wanted
this first film to be inspirational, so we pulled a lot out that
was more political, as that was not the objective of the film. I
knew that my next film would be more political. I listened to a
talk by Penny Simkin recently, who had just turned 70 and
presented an overview of her life. She had been married 50
years, 40 of those years were spent in maternity care. She
left us with her new vision. This vision was that she felt we
need to tie into the green movement, the eco movement and
show how birth is a part of that. I was doodling as she talked
and came up with the title for my new film project: The
Ecology of Birth – The Greening of Maternity Care. In the
taxi on the way back from the conference, I saw the a bill of
rights in the back seat and it occurred to me that women
have more rights in a taxi than in the maternity ward.
What are your hopes for how the film might change and
improve the treatments and birth outcomes for women?
Getting this incredibly positive feedback so early on from
providers, makes me realise that making these kinds of film
can be a valuable tool for many providers around the world
to reconnect to why the went into midwifery care. I believe
that people went into this field with very heartfelt reasons
and I feel that our systems and policies are different from
what they anticipated. They have got lost in that. I hope it is a
film that will be able to open their hearts on any level,
wherever they interface within maternity, to extend the
positive ripples we are creating with this film and with our
work as doulas and to help women and men see all that is
possible in birth.
DVD:
Available to buy @ screenings or online in the autumn
UK Screenings:
For further details go to: www.fatherstobe.org/Events.htm
Related Websites:
www.orgasmicbirth.com
www.aest.org.uk Adult Sexual Abuse Survivors organisation
Support and information for survivors of childhood and adult
sexual abuse or rape.
www.survivorspoetry.com/
Further Reading:
When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the
Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women
(2004), by Penny Simkin / Phyllis Klaus
Performing a Blessingway
SELINA NYLANDER JULY 2008
From the heart of Earth, by means of yellow pollen
Blessing is extended.
Blessing is extended.
On top of a pollen floor may I there in blessing give birth!
With long life-happiness surrounding me
May I in blessing give birth!
May I quickly give birth!
In blessing may I arise again, in blessing may I recover,
As one who is long life-happiness may I live on!
-Navajo chant from the Blessingway Ceremony
In March this year I organised and facilitated a Blessingway for
my friend Vicky. I had read about Blessingways (a traditional
Navajo healing ceremony/rite of passage, now used as an
alternative to baby showers to celebrate a woman, her pregnancy
and transition to motherhood) a few years previously.
Vicky was pregnant with her first baby and I thought a
Blessingway could help her reconnect with the positive and
spiritual aspects of birth and to give her a backbone of support
and love to call on in her labour.
The main elements that are included in a Blessingway arePlanning - Some pre-planning is required and you may need help
to think about significant people to invite, invitations should be
sent explaining the purpose of the Blessingway and what people
need to bring with them.
STAGE 1: Beginning
We prepared a sacred space outside in my friend’s large garden.
We set out a big tarp on the grass and, using a compass, created
a circle on the theme of the four directions – East (Air), South
(Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth) - with a central altar.
Eventually everyone was gathered and to cleanse and prepare
everyone I used a Native American process called ‘Smudging’.
Smudging is done with herbs (usually Sage) tied in bundles called
Smudge Sticks (you can buy these on e bay if you look under
‘smudging’). The smoke is “washed” over the person or object
with a Feather or by fanning the smoke with one’s hand. And as I
did so, to each person I said:
“Take a deep breath. Relax, and let the smoke carry away all that
is not needed here today.”
When everyone had been smudged I asked them to sit in a circle,
With Vicky in the North direction and space for me beside her. I
then cast a circle, saying:
“I am going to cast a circle to form a safe secure space for us all
to welcome the ritual experience and open to spirit. Let us form
this circle with clear thoughts, wise heads and kind hearts”
With cornmeal I walked around the circle clockwise and then
spoke these words“The Blessingway is an ancient Native American ritual so we
summon the four directions as part of our ritual.
The directions hold powerful, guiding and protective energies, and
when called upon, their qualities awaken parts of our inner selves
and bring forth the highest and best we have to offer to the
circle”
All turn to face each direction as we call. And light each altar
candle after each direction is called.
“Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the East:
communication of the heart, mind and body; fresh beginnings with
each rising of the sun; the knowledge of the growth found in
sharing silences
Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the South: warmth of
hearth and home; the heat of the hearts passion; the light to
illuminate the darkest of times.
Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the West: the lakes
deep commitments; the rivers swift excitement; the seas breath of
knowing.
Blessed be this gathering with the gifts of the North: Firm
foundation on which to build; fertile fields to enrich our lives; a
stable home to which we may always return.”
STAGE 2: Shifting
I then said: “We have created a sacred space; all the energies we
wish to be present have been summoned so I will now state the
intention for the gathering.”
“We’ve gathered here today to acknowledge, honour, and
celebrate Vicky’s journey into Motherhood. In this sacred space
we will help Vicky clear her path to Motherhood by supporting her
as she releases her fears, worries and anything else that might be
standing in her way of her fully embracing the coming of her
child. By our coming together, we will weave a web of support for
Vicky, pledging our care and our willingness to provide for her
throughout the weeks to come. I would also like us to send out
energy and love to Anstey and Rachelle and their unborn babies,
new souls to join their families.
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 7
A Blessingway is a Sacred, Spirit guided ritual. In light of this we
ask that everyone stay mindful, flexible and speak consciously.
We also ask that everyone try to stay present during the ritual,
focusing your attention on Vicky and sending her your love and
support.
A Blessingway has the power to evoke very strong emotion,
which is part of the releasing process. Vicky’s Blessingway is a
no-fault ritual, so do not be concerned if you have never been to
one before. In this safe and sacred circle, all contributions will be
honoured and don’t feel you have to say anything or participate if
you don’t want to.
Confidentiality is key to creating safety for everyone today.
Our circle has been cast and is now closed. If you need to leave
the circle to take care of anything please do so but please leave
and return quietly. Thank you for joining us.”
“I would like us all to go round the circle and introduce ourselves,
by telling us your name, your mothers and children’s names and
how you know Vicky.”
After everyone had introduced themselves we moved on to
releasing fears (very important as we all know, to a good birth!)
and I said:
“Next we will release our fears. The process of letting go of fear
is one of the most powerful parts of a Blessingway. Expressing
fears helps us let them go, releasing them from our hearts and
placing them in the hands of spirit.
Expressing fear does not give energy to that fear, if you deny
your fear exists it allows it to grow. If we release our fears, that
space can be filled with openness and love.
Please take a minute to write down a couple of worries on the
pieces of paper you have been given, these can be about
anything (don’t have to be about babies etc)
We will then go round the circle and if we feel able, read aloud
our fears and then place them and burn them in the bonfire at the
bottom of the garden.”
People were a little embarrassed but everyone was participating
in the ritual and we moved to the fire and said: “By doing this we
release our fears, expectations and distractions to the four winds.
May we now be free to focus our minds and hearts on the
present moment” (all repeat).
Having met the demons, a woman is ready to affirm her inherent
ability to birth her child.
STAGE 3: Focusing
By this time it had started to rain quite heavily, but this did not put
us off! In fact it felt right in some ways!
I said: “Now we begin the work of our gathering. The pathway to
birth is a journey of a lifetime. We have gathered together today
to help prepare Vicky to make this journey. If everyone will move
in closer to Vicky. Vicky we will be adorning you with a crown of
flowers to show you have divine attributes. We will take it in turns
to decorate you with Mehndi henna to bring luck, protection and
good fortune.
We will be massaging your shoulders to help prepare you for
bearing the responsibilities of motherhood. We will massage your
hands to ready them for the physically hard work of motherhood.
And we will bathe your feet to soothe them and clear the way for
a peaceful journey.”
This was a lovely time, we had a washing up bowl full of hot
water and herbs and rose petals which Vicky put her feet in, and
we all massaged her, a very sweet loving and laughing time for all
of us.
I then asked everyone to reform the circle and we created a
8 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
birthing necklace (of beads) for Vicky. The necklace was for Vicky
to take to wear or hold during childbirth to serve as a calming
focus.
The act of creating the necklace symbolises the strength of our
shared experiences as people.
STAGE 4: Completing
I said, “Before we end this ritual we need to raise the energy in
this circle so it can be sent out into the world, we can do this by
all holding hands and … will lead us in a chant”.
This was difficult as I had no chant prepared but we all hummed a
note for quite a while and then asked everyone to stop and place
their palms on the floor to ground the returning energy to the
Earth.
Next we wove a web, to remind us of our connection to each
other and to spirit.
A ball of red yarn was passed round, the yarn wound around each
person’s wrist several times, and then thrown to another circle
member.
When the yarn connects everyone, this symbolises that we are
united as one and represents the circle of women and the circle
of life.
Everyone stood and pulled back gently to feel the strength of the
connections they had just made.
We then cut the Yarn, each person helping their neighbours to tie
their bracelets onto their wrists.
After the birth, everyone is free to cut off the bracelet; in the
meantime, it is a constant reminder on their wrists of Vicky’s
upcoming journey. Everyone should wear the bracelet until you
receive word that the baby has been born.
I then completed the Blessingway ritual by closing the circle and
giving thanks by saying “Spirit (or Goddess or four directions) we
are grateful for your loving and powerful presence here with us
today. We release you from this circle with our thanks, asking that
you remain with Vicky from now until the birth of her baby”.
The altar candle was extinguished.
“Today, we have succeeded in forming a beautiful sacred space
for Vicky’s Blessingway. The strength and energy we have helped
Vicky to raise is shining inside her and radiating out for all of us
to see. The power of the feminine spirit has been unveiled in each
of us today. May we carry the knowledge and gifts we’ve received
on into everything we do from this day on. Let us stay connected
to Vicky, creating a cradle of support, as she awaits her birthing
day and beyond, as she learns to mother her new baby. This has
been a powerful day.”
Opening the circle “let us take care of our children, for they have
a long way to go. Let us take care of our elders, for they have
come a long way. Let us take care of those of us in between, for
we are doing the work (African prayer)”.
I walked around the circle anti clockwise and said, “Our circle is
now open, but remains unbroken. I’m glad you were all here to
share this special day.”
We finally moved on to everyone’s favourite part, feasting! And
moved inside for tea and cake. It was a very special and powerful
day and people still talk about it now, months on. For myself I
found it very useful and I hope to do more Blessingways and
encourage others to perform them as they are a fantastic way to
prepare women for Motherhood joyfully.
Vicky went on to birth a nearly 10lb persistently posterior baby on
all fours, triumphantly!
Further reading:
Mother Rising: The Blessingway Journey into Motherhood by Yana
Cortlund, Barb Lucke, and Donna Miller Watelet.
Alaina’s Home Breech Birth
STACIA SMALES-HILL
Each birth teaches us, humbles us and helps us find something in ourselves we never knew
existed before. I had had a difficult period where each birth I attended had ended with
serious interventions and a baby damaged in the process. My faith was waning. There were
times when I wondered if we actually could do it on our own. And other times when I
wondered if we would ever be free of a restrictive and controlling medical system. So
Alaina’s first call was the start of a healing journey.
Alaina is one of those beautiful women who simply trust her body to do the right thing.
Slender, early-30’s with a warm personality, strong opinions and a ready laugh, the last thing
she expected was to find herself at odds with the NHS. She originally trained as a nurse, and
had had a very straight forward first birth at home in New Zealand. Now 18 months later she
was in the UK and pregnant again, and was told by her less-than-warm midwife a homebirth
would be impossible - the hospital was far too busy. In desperation she rang me looking for a
doula to support her in hospital. After our long conversation about how to handle hospitals and
midwives, her rights within the NHS and general emotional support, Alaina was back on track,
and shortly thereafter had her homebirth booked, with me as her doula.
Then at 35 weeks the midwife told her the baby was breech and suggested weekly scans and
a date for a caesarean. Alaina panicked. She had only agreed to one scan during pregnancy
and none of the tests; this was far from her view of what pregnancy and birth should be. We
talked about why babies might choose to be breech, the likelihood of this baby turning, what
she could do to try to help turn the baby and what hospital protocols she would encounter.
She decided to have one confirming scan at 37 weeks, and an ECV at 38 weeks. If the baby
refused to turn, she wanted a vaginal birth.
The hospital refused to consider anything other than caesarean. Alaina and I discussed the
difficulty of getting someone with experience of vaginal breech birth in hospital anyway. I
suggested that she talk to Mary Cronk to get her own confidence in vaginal breech birth back,
and to see if Mary could recommend some independent midwives with breech birth experience.
Mary was great, and Alaina was inspired. She engaged Brenda van der Kooy as her primary
midwife with Jane Evans as the backup. On the morning of her scheduled ECV (the attempt to
manually turn the baby to head down) Alaina rang the hospital to say that she was not coming in
for the ECV, in fact she wasn’t coming in again at all. She was going to have this breech baby at
home. She related to me with some glee how suddenly her phone did not stop ringing. The head
of midwifery was the last to ring. She offered to “allow” Alaina to “attempt” a vaginal breech birth,
which she would personally attend. “Can I do it in the Birthing Centre?” Alaina asked – just wanting
to see what she could get. “Of course you can start out there,” was the reply. “No thank you,” Alaina
said politely, and rang off.
Trust your body and trust your baby. These are the two things I repeat over and over to women, but
with my recent experiences, I was finding it hard to do the same. Although I never said anything to
Alaina, I admit to feeling fear. Then I started reading. The literature out there is compelling. Breech
babies should be able to be born without difficulty provided the midwives allow the baby the same
freedom to manoeuvre that we give to head first babies. The problems with breech babies arise
when we interfere unnecessarily. This baby was in an extended breech position (the legs were
straight up with the feet beside the head) with the back on the left – an ideal position. My own
confidence began to build.
The days ticked by. Alaina had been early with her first baby, but now she was one week past her
due date. Brenda advised against a sweep. We all waited. At 41 plus 5 days Alaina rang me in the
morning to say that mild contractions had started, but nothing significant. Based on her last labour,
she expected it would take some time to get going, so she would ring me later. At 3:30pm the
phone rang again. Labour was starting to build and she wanted me there.
Alaina’s partner is a builder, and was in the middle of renovating their house. A wooden plank
covered the mud leading to the front door. Bare plasterboard walls rose from a beautifully
finished pine floor, while parts of stairwell for the unfinished loft and bits of skirting littered the
tiny hallway. When I arrived you could feel the excitement in the air, but it felt wrong. The little
front room was too crowded. Alaina stood near the wall, her hands on her hips, swaying, the
midwives seated on either side watching her, her partner and son playing noisily at her feet,
and me in the corner. Instead of increasing, the contractions were becoming farther and
farther apart and less intense. After about 30 minutes, she looked around the room and
asked everyone to leave, but me.
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 9
We were going to watch a film, she decided. There were no curtains on the windows, so we
put up blankets and plunged the room into darkness. We chatted quietly and I made her
laugh. The contractions returned, and she started to withdraw into herself. The film was
forgotten. I left her alone and went into the kitchen, just coming to the door to listen
occasionally. A half hour later, her partner and son returned and Alaina disappeared into the
bathroom to continue being alone. We could hear the shower. A few minutes later, she called
for Ramon to bring her the birth ball. There was ‘That Transition Tone’ in her voice, so I waited
until Ramon had left and went up to see what was happening. Each contraction was strong and
full, with 5-6 minutes between. The Rhombus of Michaleus was just visible. I listened to a few more
contractions and then asked her if we could call the midwives back. She felt it was too soon, but I
assured her it was time.
Brenda and Jane arrived 15 minutes later, and very shortly Alaina felt the baby moving down. With
that wonderful ponderous choreography required to move a women starting to bear down, we
supported her, guided her, and encouraged her as she made the short walk to the bedroom where she
wanted to birth. She fell to her knees on a pile of towels and blankets on the floor and leaned onto the
bed. The pushing began with deep-throated calling. Ten minutes later, a small portion of the buttocks
could be seen and it began to extrude meconium like a play dough factory. This is normal in a breech
birth as the gut is being massaged and each squeeze of the vagina squeezed out more of the black
stuff onto the Inco pad. Slowly the buttocks could be seen to rotate and little labia appeared. We all held
our breath. Alaina knew we would all see the sex of the baby before she did, so had made us take a
solemn oath not to say anything until she saw the baby herself. Alaina called and screeched, it was
uncomfortable she said. “Is anything happening?”, she asked. Ramon comforted her, and then left with
Luca who was frightened by the noises coming from his mother and had begun to cry. Now the buttocks
slowly, slowly began to make their way out of the vagina, the legs extended in front of the body. It seemed
to take forever as this baby eased her way out. Everyone watched but Alaina who was left grabbing onto
the duvet until Ramon returned. Brenda reassured her that the bottom had come out and now the legs
were coming. “It will feel like they are coming forever,” she said. The baby’s body hung below Alaina’s body,
the contractions further apart and gentler now. Alaina breathed and gave little grunts, but otherwise the
room had become strangely quiet. In the background, Mama Cass was singing “Dream a Little Dream For
Me.” It seemed incongruous as still these long legs and this long body hung in the air, the gradual
movement into the world almost imperceptible. Alaina screeched again as she felt the feet pushing against
her perineum.
Then suddenly it was over. One leg flopped out, then the next, one arm, and another arm and then the
head and the baby flopped over her legs onto the pile of towels. The midwives quickly gathered her up,
turned her over on her back and helped Alaina to reach her. The baby’s legs reverted to their usual
position up by her ears, and Alaina hesitated as she tried to figure out how to pick up this oddly configured
baby.
There was a release of energy into the room as midwives peered at the baby, Luca was called, and a
friend came in to greet the new baby. There were a few minutes when everyone seemed to have
forgotten Alaina, sitting now on her heels, exhausted, huddled with this baby against her chest. She
asked for help a few times before we all took notice and helped her to get off her knees and to sit
properly. Then she smiled. “I did it, I did a breech birth at home!” She threw her head back and laughed.
We all stayed for some time, sitting in the kitchen and chatting quietly. Ramon had taken his new
daughter to give Alaina time to gather her boundaries again. It was a quick birth: only a few hours from
the time I arrived, and Alaina was exhausted. The baby was obviously uncomfortable, and took some
time to settle – perhaps because of the extension of her legs meeting gravity for the first time. A
common side effect of this birth position is hip problems, but in fact her hips were found to be fine.
Soon she too succumbed to sleep. It was now dark, and the house began to settle down, absorbing
easily this new life into its warmth.
Alaina felt it was important to prove that a home breech birth is possible, and asked me to film the
birth so it could be used to educate and inform women, midwives and doulas. If anyone is interested,
please do contact me for more information.
Suggested reading:
Breech Birth – what are my options, by Jane Evans, published 2005 by AIMS (available from
www.aims.org.uk)
Breech Birth by Benna Waites (available through Amazon)
Breech Birth: Woman-Wise by Maggie Banks (out of print so you will have to look for it)
www.breechbabies.com
Jane Evans, Mary Cronk and Brenda van der Kooy run “A Day at the Breech” workshops for midwives
and others. For more information, contact them through admin@sharingtheskills.co.uk or visit the
website www.sharingtheskills.co.uk
10 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
The Benefits of
Pregnancy Massage
A friend recently asked me if her sister
would be able to book a massage, even
though she was only 20 weeks pregnant.
"Of course! There is really no better time",
I replied.
Pregnancy massage is a wonderful way
for mummies-to-be to relax, rejuvenate,
and release some of the stress. Not only
does it feel fantastic, but there are many
other benefits. The benefits of pregnancy
massage (also known as prenatal
massage) include, but are not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Encouraging muscle relaxation and
tension relief;
Reducing heart rate and blood
pressure;
Increasing blood circulation and
lymphatic flow, therefore encouraging
the body to release stagnant wastes
held in the tissue;
Promoting deeper breathing and an
overall sense of well being;
Fostering faster repair and healing of
stretched or strained muscular tissue;
Strengthening the immune system by
encouraging the body to maintain or
return to homeostasis (optimal
balance in which the body best fights
injury or illness); and
Satisfying the need for a nurturing
touch.
Other reported benefits from women
who have experienced massage
during pregnancy include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fewer obstetric and postpartum
complications;
Reduced premature birth rates;
Shorter or less painful deliveries and
less days spent in the hospital;
Reduced swelling in the hands and
feet;
Less lower back and sciatic pain; and
Decreased instances of postpartum
depression and anxiety (due to fewer
stress hormones in the blood).
While any healthy, pregnant woman is able
to receive massage, there are some
precautions the massage practitioner
must observe to ensure that their client is
safe during and after the massage. Since
the woman’s body is in a state of such
physical and hormonal change, massage
is limited to the second and third
trimesters.
As with any massage, the massage
practitioner should be alerted to any
health issues; this is especially important
during pregnancy. Pregnancy massage
should not be performed if your clients
have high blood pressure, diabetes, fever,
unusual abdominal pain or vomiting, or
any malignant condition. Varicose veins
and swelling are other conditions the
practitioner should be made aware of
prior to the massage, though the
treatment can still be safely performed in
spite of these. The practitioner will be
cautious and will avoid any deep pressure
and heat so as not to take blood away
from the fetus. The practitioner will avoid
certain pressure points on the body and
feet since they are connected with the
promotion of early contractions and
labour. While taking precautions before,
during, and after is important, most
clients will have no problems; they can
relax and enjoy the massage free from
worries.
Pregnancy massage can accommodate
the expectant mother at any stage during
the second and third trimester. The
practitioner prepares the treatment room
specifically for the client. Using elevated
pillows to support the client when lying
on her back in a reclined position and
some practitioners use specially designed
massage cushions for the client to lie on
their stomach, no matter how far along
they are; for the expectant mother, this in
itself is a luxury. Other practitioners use a
birth ball during the 2nd and 3rd
trimester, rather then ask their clients to
lie on their stomachs or sides. This gives
them unrestricted access to massage the
clients back and pelvic area. The
practitioner can promote the benefits of
using a birth ball during pregnancy and
labour. Once they have massaged the
back and pelvic area they can, using
pillows, ensure that their clients are
comfortable and supported on the
massage couch. Once the massage is in
progress, the practitioner will pay special
attention to any areas of tension or
discomfort developed during or even
before the pregnancy. This is the perfect
time to take a deep breath, enjoy the
feeling of nurturing touch, and let the
stress melt away. Often, soft music, dim
lighting, and warm towels help the client
to unwind and relax.
It’s important to remember that what
some women love during pregnancy, they
may not like in labour. So as doulas we
may meet clients who love to be touched
and nurtured but others who don’t want
CLAIRE MORROW-GOODMAN
to be touched. I like to encourage the
partner to learn some basic massage
techniques that can be used during
pregnancy and when mum is in labour.
They are skills that they can use that are
safe but nurturing; it also gives the partner
something to do! Some clients ask if they
can still be massaged if they are using a
birth pool. Of course they can; your partner,
doula or midwife can massage your
shoulders or the lower part of your back
while you are in the pool. It’s probably best
to dry your skin first and then use a little
oil or balm on their hands to be able to
massage your skin effectively. The
combination of warm water and massage
can be very powerful.
As a massage practitioner I am asked
about the use of essential oils; as I am not
a qualified Aromatherapist I tend to refer
them to a local practitioner who may be
able to make them a specific blend. As
with everything in pregnancy, I always
explain that they should be cautious. With
the majority of my pregnancy massage
clients I use Tui balmes. They are a blend
of natural, organic beeswax and high
quality vegetable oils. It can be smoothly
applied and reapplied without disrupting
the flow of the massage. I love these
products as I know that they have no
essential oils that are going to stimulate
contractions and always patch test my
clients whilst I take their case history. If
they do have a reaction, I use good, old
organic sunflower oil.
So, why do I love pregnancy massage?
Well, I wish I had been able to detach my
own hands when I was pregnant, but that’s
entirely another story! I love the bond I
nurture with my clients; that they come to
relax and unwind. Some use the sessions
as informal antenatal classes, they feel
relaxed enough to ask questions (I always
reassure them that there are no silly
questions and that to be informed is to be
empowered). I try to keep it factual and
evidence based; clients have felt so
positive about their upcoming birth and the
majority go on to have positive birth
experiences. I love going to our treatment
space and have a renewed energy with
every appointment; I find it very rewarding
and nurturing. As one of my clients has
said, “She has magic hands!”
Claire trained with the London College of
Massage and specialised in pregnancy and
labour massage. She also teaches Baby
Massage and trained with Peter Walker.
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 11
Book Review:
Friday’s Child by Ben Palme
reviewed by Carly Poyser
Having suggested this topic and book
for the newsletter I was asked to write
a book review.
After saying yes, I realised I had to try
and sum up what this book is about.
How can you sum up something that
means so much to so many people?
Something which is written from the
heart and I expect through tears.
I read this book in just under 5
hours one Sunday evening, I could not put it
down, I didn’t want to do anything else apart from sit in silence
and take in the magnitude of the words laid in front of me.
I read and re-read making sure I was taking it all in. I cried. I got
angry. I mourned. I felt a sense of loss for the author, for his
children and his family. This book touched my heart and mind in
ways I cannot explain.
Ben Palmer wrote this book in 2004 after his wife Jessica gave
birth to their second child, a much-wanted daughter and sister
for their 3yr old son Harry. I am sure at the time the last thing
he thought he would be doing is writing a book. Telling the story
of how his wife was taken from him, their son and 6-day-old
daughter. I imagine he had never wanted to write a book –
although he says that Jessica did, and she said that ‘everyone
had one book in them’. Sadly Jessica is the inspiration for this
book – I wish she had never been. But sadly there will always
be someone out there going through this with 18 deaths
between 2003-2005 attributed to ‘childbed fever’ (also known
as puerperal fever or sepsis).
This book is a rollercoaster. You want to know everything is OK –
but will it ever be? For Ben, Emily and Harry their mother and
wife was taken away. For Jessica, she never gets to see her
children grow up or feel her husbands’ arms around her.
We only have to read this book and then we can walk away –
but this will happen again, another mother will die – we have to
support the trust that Ben has set up in honour of his wife.
A Doula’s Guide to Childbed Fever
Childbed fever is an infection of the womb in new mothers, which
can lead to septicemia. If left untreated, infection will cause
organ failure and death - even in young, fit mothers.
Possible symptoms of childbed fever
• Headache, feeling generally unwell2
• Sore throat
• Raised temperature (over 38°C is a fever)
• Fast pulse (over 100 beats per minute)
• Fast breathing
• Offensive vaginal discharge
• Rash
• Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Abdominal/leg pains
Ben gives background to their story with details on how they
met, and includes emails from friends, clients and family from
before Emily was born to months after Jessica’s death. We learn
how Ben had to cope with 2 children during Jessica’s time in
hospital, how Jessica’s health deteriorated rapidly and this could
(and should) have been picked up earlier. As little as just a few
hours before Jessica’s hospital admission, she could have been
saved, with something as simple as antibiotics.
Childbed fever can strike down
any new mother, irrespective of
age, fitness or health. Fever is
an obvious sign of infection, but
not everyone who develops
septicemia has a temperature,
so it is important to look at
all of the symptoms as a whole.
N.B. If you have two or
more of these symptoms,
especially if they are
getting worse, or if
you are in any doubt,
please call your GP or
midwife, or go to
hospital immediately.
Remember, the infection
can get worse in hours,
not days.
You feel the excitement in the lead up to their daughter’s arrival,
the thrill of welcoming a new baby into this world, and then
suddenly, you feel the crash. “STOP!” “NO!” I found myself
shouting, literally trying to rewrite history, and wishing I were not
reading this book because I wish there wasn’t this story to tell.
www.jessicastrust.org.uk The Aims: “We would like every parent and every
midwife and doctor to know that childbed fever is still a very real threat to
a mother’s life”.
You literally ‘live’ through Ben’s story, you feel every emotion
possible – happiness, joy, excitement – all the emotions we feel
as doulas at an impending birth. You feel every emotion that we
hope we never have to as doulas, when something starts to go
wrong – sadness, crying, anger, frustration and helplessness.
After Jessica’s death, their daughter has to be tested and family
has to rally round. Jessica is then buried and Ben attempts to
come to terms with what they are all going through. A legal
battle begins to establish responsibility for Jessica’s death and
to secure the children’s future.
12 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
Take a look at http://www.jessicastrust.org.uk/whats-the-aim/awarenesssurvey/ and complete the survey.
Buy the book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1905264283?ie=UTF8&tag=jessi
strust21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=19
05264283 And we can make sure every client, midwife, friend and family
member know about this.
Ben is currently waiting for charitable status and then we can donate to
help support the trust in raising awareness about childbed fever.
You can download leaflets from the site here:
http://www.jessicastrust.org.uk/childbed-fever/documents/
Postnatal work with twins
MARCIA LORD
Do you ever wonder how life got like this? It is a familiar cry
amongst the mums of multiples. I mean, what happened?
We’d all started out wanting to have a baby and somewhere
along the line our request had been put in twice and, for
some of us, three times. I’m still waiting to meet the poor
suckers that had their application filled times four! It’s not that
any of us minded having more than one baby. It’s just that our
plan was to have them one at a time, rather than as a job lot.
We would get together and trade comments that had come
our way each day and the smart aleck comment we made or
wished we’d made:
‘Are they twins?’
‘No, they are triplets and we left the baby we don’t like in the
car.’
‘Which is the evil twin?’
‘The one with the horns and tail’
‘You look tired...’
‘Thanks for pointing out that I look like crap because I haven’t
been able to get to a mirror in centuries...
By the way did I mention how fat you look in those trousers?’
I mean where do people feel they get the right to comment
on our sex lives, family history and family planning? We laugh
so that we don’t scream with frustration. It’s especially hard
when people continually tell us how hard it must be and how
they couldn’t do it. Well no one asked them to and we think
we’re not doing too badly. In fact, we open bottles of
champagne each year to celebrate the fact that we’ve
survived another year of multiple mum-hood. We delight in
our children even as we complain about the relentless pace
of parenting them, but never to the mothers of singletons.
It’s not easy being a new mum of twins. Far too many people
will be told that they will need to have a caesarean and that
they’ll never be able to breastfeed. You only need to look at
the TAMBA message board to see the many negative words
and experiences that abound. Lots of these potential clients
are on a negative spiral before we, as doulas, get to them. So
our work really starts before those babies are born (unless of
course the booking happens after the birth).
One of the things that I do as a postnatal doula to twins is
talk through the mother’s birth choices etc. This may well
impact the level and duration of care expected. We also talk
about how she is hoping to feed. Most want to breastfeed but
are already worried that it will never happen. I talk to them
about how breastfeeding works and the relentlessness of
breastfeeding and how important it is that they set things up
so that they can rest and feed. I remind them that, despite
seeming like forever, it is really only a short space of time.
Then I suggest strategies that may make the experience
easier (I try not to tell them that I sacked my own mw who
clearly didn’t have a clue about the ins and outs of
breastfeeding). One of my tips is that they sort the latch and
feeding of the twins individually. This means feeding one twin
before the other. As they establish the latch they should then
attempt to tandem feed (both babies at the same time).
Some women find the inflatable breastfeeding pillow helpful,
others use an ordinary V shaped pillow. Twin babies will often
be held in the rugby/football position, cross cradle or
combination hold.
Breastfeeding Positions
Football Hold
Cradle Hold
Combination Hold
We also talk about the importance of starting to breastfeed
early and frequently to establish the milk supply.
A fair number of the twin mums that I meet have had routine
gurus recommended to them. Having been told to expect
© Doula UK Summer 2008
Doulaing 13
chaos, routine (of some kind) will seem like and can often be
a lifesaver. Whatever you’re feeling on the matter, you need to
establish with your client what type of help she wants from
you. Remember that this client (almost above any other) is
going to be completely and totally exhausted. She has two
babies to wake her through the night and there will be many
days, if not weeks, when if she’s not feeding she’s changing
nappies times two! This mum is going to want the same from
you as a singleton mum. Help feeding her babies, sleep, help
around the house. Sometimes she’ll already have a toddler. It
is vitally important to her that in the middle of the madness
that is twin babies, she has time for her first born.
You may find that doing postnatal work for twins you are
more hands on. Sometimes you’ll simply be watching them,
whilst unloading the dishwasher, so that mum can get an
hour’s sleep. Your breastfeeding knowledge may be tested to
and beyond its limits. Remember we have people like Pam
Lacey and Heather Higgins in Doula UK and they are a font
of knowledge. Call on them if you need to.
The issues with the babies don’t change; it’s just that there
14 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
are TWO of them (unless it’s triplets or quads). You may find
that she needs you longer than some singleton clients. I’ve
found though that most of them hit the ground running
because they’ve known for a while that they need to put help
and support into place. I often only spend two to three weeks
with my twin mums. I do, however, stay available to them on
the telephone and via email.
I would never charge an enhanced rate to parents with
multiples. Their costs are already high and will remain that
way. I do operate a more flexible contract with them as their
babies could be born at any time. I love my work with twin
mums and would recommend it to anyone. One of my twin
mums turned around a negative comment: “You have your
hands full”. Her response “God gave me two hands for a
reason,.. they are better full than empty”.
As doulas we should help these women see just how blessed
they are and enable them to enjoy those first days, weeks,
months with their new babies.
Mars Lord, mother to five, including 4-year old twins.
A Doula’s Guide
to Scoliosis:
SHANTA EVERINGTON, A FIRST-TIME MOTHER WITH
IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS, EXPLORES ISSUES ABOUT
PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH AND SCOLIOSIS.
Like most first-time mothers, I approached my antenatal
appointment with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. This
session was supposed to provide the midwife with the
necessary information to plan my antenatal care and labour.
She ran quickly through a standard list of questions. ‘Are you
disabled?’ she read out and answered, ‘No’. Without even
looking up. “Er… well …”, I began. It was a question I always
found difficult. As a teenager, I developed idiopathic scoliosis –
a progressive curvature of the spine. Now in my 30’s, my spine
is S-shaped and my ribcage rotated, with twisted vertebrae and
uneven muscle development causing chronic muscle fatigue
and pain. I hadn’t even considered the disability question until
suffering severe pain at work several years ago. When I started
investigating possible solutions, I came across the
government’s Access to Work scheme for disabled employees.
the condition, whose experiences had varied. One found her
back pain ceased during pregnancy as the hormones softened
her ligaments; another had increased pain caused by carrying
the extra weight. One woman’s curve had worsened slightly
postnatally and the others had remained the same. None of
their children had inherited scoliosis.
I remember spluttering down the phone, “I’m not sure if I count
as disabled but …”. On explaining I had scoliosis, I was told
“Yep, that counts.” It felt strange to start thinking of myself as
disabled, but also liberating: I felt entitled to expect society to
make adjustments. Yet this midwife was making assumptions
about me because I didn’t match her ideas about disability.
When I explained my scoliosis to her – my anxieties about how
this might interact with my pregnancy, and about locating an
epidural should this be necessary – she simply said, “Oh I had
another mum with scoliosis and she managed a natural birth.
You’ll be fine.” My confidence in her was overshadowed by
concern that again she was making assumptions. Just because
I shared the same condition with another woman, who could
say that our pregnancies would go the same way? I asked
about antenatal classes and exercise, and possible additional
support. The midwife suggested I seek advice from a scoliosis
specialist if I had any worries.
In the absence of medical advice, I relied on my common
sense about what I could or couldn’t do safely. I decided to hire
a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) machine
and wrote ‘no epidural’ on my birth plan.
My physiotherapist at the specialist orthopaedic clinic that I
attended regularly was nervous about me continuing my daily
exercise programme, telling me not to do the exercises lying
on my back. She suggested that I consult the maternity unit of
my hospital. Back to square one! Like so many other disabled
women, I was left to find my own information and support on
my pregnancy.
We decided to go ahead and my pregnancy went smoothly.
Luckily, I also experienced reduced pain as my ligaments
softened. I discovered a video on Pilates exercises during
pregnancy, which I used for a while to replace my
physiotherapy exercises. I also found out by chance that,
despite the midwife’s information, a women’s health
physiotherapist at the hospital ran an antenatal exercise class,
which proved very useful.
Labour was fairly straightforward. Going into labour three
weeks early, I contacted the labour unit when I started
experiencing contractions as back pain every five minutes. I
was told that I could not possibly be in labour if I ‘only’ had
back pain and not to come in until the next morning! They said
that true contractions would grip the entire abdomen across
the front. When the pains were two minutes apart, I decided to
go to hospital. My cervix was already 6cms dilated and our
beautiful son Etienne was born six hours later. I didn’t
experience any contractions across my abdomen. I had
planned for an upright birthing position, but found myself flat
on my back, legs in stirrups. This caused severe postnatal pain
leading, in turn, to breastfeeding problems. I had struggled to
get the maternity staff even to acknowledge my scoliosis, or
tailor my care accordingly. I appreciate that hospital staff are
overworked but feel it is important for midwifery practice to be
reviewed in relation to woman with ‘hidden’ disabilities.
This article first appeared in the DPPI Journal Spring 2007, issue 57.
© to Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood International
Before my husband and I decided to try for a baby, I obtained a
booklet on scoliosis and pregnancy from SAUK. This
addressed three main questions: how scoliosis affects
pregnancy; the effect of pregnancy on scoliosis; and the
likelihood of scoliosis being passed on to the baby.
Book:
Pregnancy and Scoliosis by Anita K Simmonds MD FRCP
Available from SAUK priced £1.50
The research appears to be inconclusive but a review of the
literature by SAUK came to the conclusion that women with
scoliosis have a good chance of a normal, healthy pregnancy.
Although it is widely recognised that there is a genetic
predisposition to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, more research
is needed.
Scoliosis Association (UK)
Helpline: 020 8964 1166
4 Ivebury Court General
323-327 Latimer Road
LONDON
W10 6RA
Enq: 020 8964 5343
Websites:
www.dppi.org.uk.
www.sauk.org.uk
The Association also put me in touch with three mothers with
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 15
Book Review:
Aqualight by Francoise Barbira-Freedman & Birthlight
Reviewed by Gemma Nun
This book already scored big points with me from the off, with it’s
very practical design. Waterproof, compact, spiral-bound with
clear diagrams and not too many words. Designed to take into
the birthing room and survive a splash or two, it covers all the
practical bases you might possibly need for how to use a birthing
pool before, during and after the birth. It is not a substitute for
books such as Water Birth by Janet Balaskas, but rather acts as
a complement to it and to the doula bag.
Written by Francoise Barbira-Freedman, of Birthlight, it is divided
into 27 sections. The first sections cover a variety of antenatal
exercises for the mother to do in the pool, as well as exercises
with a woggle, (I'm grateful to Francoise for telling me what
these foam sausage like things are called). There are prenatal
exercises to help prevent and ease back pain, pelvic floor
Aquatone stretches and water massages to help connect with
the baby during pregnancy.
It has a chapter devoted to AquaBreathing. Both voiced, which is
also recommended before labour and immersed, during labour.
Immersed Aquabreathing would have come in handy for me at
my last birth, when me and the mum both dozed off during the
birth (a 2-dayer) and I dashed to catch her as I heard a little
slosh, as her head started sinking under the water. Breathing
during the second stage is also featured.
There are some very useful photo's demonstrating different
positions for the mother to get into during labour. She gives
suggestions for the birth attendants; to ease pain such as back
pressure; how to give a head massage; or how to support the
mother physically in the birth pool.
Dad is nicely involved as well in the photos, getting into the
water with the mother and baby. There is a chapter showing how
to use the pool in the days after the baby is born. Demonstrating
how to cradle the baby, it’s first swim, which shows step by step
guide to how to help immerse the baby in and if you want, under
the water - for its first dunk. Again this would have been useful
to my husband who inadvertently dunked my son during his first
bath - well he is called Duncan after all.
The Birthlight Postnatal Aquatone exercises are nicely
demonstrated, with the postnatal pelvic floor aquatone and the
postnatal aquastretches. And finally aqua yoga, spinal alignment
and water meditation to bring about calm strength after the birth.
I shall definitely be finding a place for it in my bag.
Aqualight: Make the Best of Your Birthing Pool Before, During and
After Birth - Birthlight Booklet Series No. 1
by Francoise Barbira Freedman
Doula UK Hardship Fund
We are now approaching our sixth year with the hardship fund and already we have reached
many families across the UK.
Doula UK has a budget to assist our doulas who wish to work for families, but who do not
have the means to employ a doula. This might be because the family’s only income is from
the State benefits. This assistance is in the form of a small financial contribution towards the
cost that the doula incurs during her work for that client, currently set at a maximum of £150
(for a birth doula) or £10 ph (for a post natal doula, up to a maximum of 20 hours) per
application. This money will be given to the doula after completion of her work. Parents are
welcome, but under no obligations, to pay up to an extra £150 (for a birth doula) or £10 ph
(for a post natal doula) to the doula herself.
Doulas are encouraged to donate money to this fund when they can. If clients appreciate the
doula support they receive and would like to help others who cannot afford to pay for a doula
service, contributions are gratefully received.
For more information or an application form,
contact: Mandy Reid on 01634 713 919
16 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
“A Home Birth Poem”
MARIE O’CONNOR
Angela's Red Tent Brownies:
Ingredients:
220g good quality dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids)
220g butter
4 eggs
450g caster sugar
220g self-raising flour
100g chopped pecans (optional) or 100g choc chips or
chopped dark chocolate (I add this rather than nuts)
A 9 x 9 inch square tin of 2-inch depth. Line with foil.
Put the chocolate and butter in a large saucepan and melt
over a low heat. Remove from the heat, add eggs, sugar,
flour and chocolate chips and mix well. Pour into the
prepared tin, smooth over the surface and bake at 180
degrees C for 30 mins. Remove from the oven and let
completely cool in the tin (absolutely essential). When cool, lift
out the slab of brownies in the foil and cut into small squares.
Enjoy!
No rush to get to hospital on time!
No hospital gowns. No identity crisis.
No clocks. No drips. No drugs.
No rush to produce this baby.
No poking or prodding. No stirrups.
Just privacy. And freedom.
No superbugs. No strangers.
No waiting rooms.
No wiring up your womb to a foetal heart monitor.
No screwing electrodes into your baby’s scalp.
No false positives, no rush to get the baby out.
No ‘emergency’ section.
No theatre lights, no high trolleys.
No metal, no Dettol.
Only the peace of your own bed in your own room.
And your own germs.
No amniotomies, no episiotomies.
You want your perfect body intact.
No rush to take your baby away.
No nurseries.
Early labour? Go for a walk. Go for a swim.
Clean out the cutlery drawer.
Call the shots. Call your midwife. Play music.
Make coffee. Sit in the bathroom. Be on your own.
Knowing your midwife is half the battle.
You know your midwife for nine months.
She tells you to take your time.
No rush, no fear.
Lie in a hot bath, or sit in a birth pool.
Water eases the stress of labour.
He holds your hand, makes hot toast,
Massages your back, boils water.
Your midwife listens to the baby’s heartbeat.
You trust her, and feel safe.
No pushing, no pulling, no panic.
No rush to get the baby out.
You give birth standing up, or sitting down.
Body wide-open, baby slips out.
You come back from earth.
No rush to cut the cord.
You watch it together, admire its rainbow colours.
Marvel at this pulsating thing which has kept your baby
alive.
Three hearts beat in time.
There is no rush. Only time.
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 17
DOULA UK PHOTO GALLERY
Orgasmic Birth, London Premiere
Red Tent Day – Northampton
Red Tent Day – London
TECHNICAL NOTE
Apologies for the quality of these snaps, ideally pics should be at least
200-300dpi for reproduction, these are very small and only 72dpi,
contributors should try and set their cameras at the best quality possible
please, many thanks.
Ed.
18 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK
MINI Doula Survey 2007-8
PLEASE RETURN BY 10 September 2008 LATEST
To Valerie Goedkoop
The MINI SURVEY
154 Broadmead
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
TN2 5NN
Or e-mail: info@nurturingbirth.co.uk
(more environmentally friendly!)
DATA FOR JULY 2007 to JULY 2008
For all doulas
Are you a
____ Recognised/Certified Birth doula
____ Recognised/Certified Postnatal doula
____ Birth doula
____ Postnatal doula
Where are you located? Please put a cross in front of your region
__ Scotland
__ Wales
__ Northwest England : Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire
__ Yorkshire and Humberside
__ East Midlands: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire,
Nottinghamshire
__ West Midlands : Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire
__ East Anglia : Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk
__ Home Counties - North : Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire
__ Greater London
__ Home Counties - South: Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire
__ West Country: Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire
__ Other, please specify: _____________________________________
For birth doulas only: (to the best of your recollection)
From July 2007 to July 2008 I have supported ________ births (labours) out of which
____ forceps deliveries
____ ventouse deliveries
____ ventouse and forceps (in 1 birth) deliveries
____ “emergency” caesarean sections following an induction
____ “emergency” caesarean sections following a non-induced labour
____ caesarean sections for a medical reason (usually elective)
____ inductions
____ epidural
____ pethidine/diamorphine/meptid
____ epidural + pethidine/diamorphine/meptid
____ VBACs
____ nullip (1st baby)
____ twin birth or more!
____ water births (labour and/or delivery in a birth pool)
© NB 2007-8 Mini Survey
© Doula UK Summer 2008 Doulaing 19
From July 2007 to July 2008 I attended ______ births where I was the sole birth
partner (no husband/partner/mother/sister/best friend,...)
From July 2007 to July 2008 I have attended _____ births as a birth doula (please
give us the number of paid and unpaid clients).
_____ number of planned hospital births
_____ number of planned birth centre / midwife led units births
_____ number of home births
_____ number of hospital transfers (planned home birth/birth centre/midwife led unit
that transfered in or after labour)
Of all the birth I supported between July 2007 to July 2008, __________ out of
________ breastfed at birth.
Of all the labours from July 2007 to July 2008 I attended:
_____ labours were under 6 hours
_____ labours were between 6 and 12 hours
_____ labours were between 12 and 18 hours
_____ labours were over 24 hours
Labours = (to the best of your knowledge) when a woman was in “established” labour =
3cm.
I am a birth doula and I currently charge £_____ fee
For postnatal doulas: (to the best of your recollection)
From July 2007 to July 2008 I have attended ______ postnatal families (as a
postnatal family – for the purpose of this survey - we look for a doula having
supported a family for over 6 sessions of 3hours each or a minimum of 18 hours).
Of all the women I supported postnatally between July 2007 to July 2008, __________
out of
________ breastfed for the first 6 weeks.
Of all the women I supported postnatally between July 2007 to July 2008, __________
out of
________ breastfed for over 3 months. ONLY COUNT THOSE FOR WHOM YOU
KNOW THE ANSWER PLEASE
I am a postnatal doula and I currently charge £_____ /hour
Thank you
© NB 2007-8 Mini Survey
20 Doulaing Summer 2008
© Doula UK